Insulating jackets for maintaining the temperature of a beverage or food within a container are known in the prior art. Many such jackets are formed as hollow cylinders through which the container is inserted. Other such jackets are cut from a flat sheet of insulating material so as to be wrapped around the container and then fastened end to end to secure the jacket onto the container. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 1,950,505 to Matters on Mar. 13, 1934, illustrates such a device. Another example of a such a prior art container insulator is found in U.S. Pat. No. 5,147,067 to Effertz on Sep. 15, 1992. Such a device includes a cut-out handle arrangement for providing a convenient means by which to grasp the insulator and container.
While such devices may be well-suited for use with cylindrical containers, conical containers are not effectively held in such prior art devices, which can lead to spilling of the beverage or food from the container. However, many conical containers and cups are in use today, such conical containers having the advantage that they may be conveniently stacked. As a result, many people who desire to use an insulating jacket on their conical containers, heretofore, have been unable to do so effectively or safely. Further, the prior art container jackets have the disadvantage of having to be stored in a cupboard drawer, or the like, when not in use. It is often the case, however, that when a person is preparing a beverage or food item he will not think to use an insulator for the container unless he is reminded to use the insulator by seeing it. As a result, such prior art insulating jackets often go unused, even when they could be used effectively and advantageously on a cylindrical container.
Clearly, then, there is a need for a container insulator, and more particularly, for a conical shaped insulator for food or beverage containers, such as those universally used for ice cream, that is effective for thermal insulation and handling thereof. Further, such a needed invention would be easy to manufacture and use, and would include an easy to use handle. Still further, such a needed invention would allow the device to be stored and displayed on a nearby surface, such as that of a refrigerator or the like, so as to be prominently visible when one is preparing a beverage or the like. The present invention fulfills these needs and provides further related advantages.